Automatic safety-alarm for receptacles.



M. MARKOWICZ. AUTOMATIC SAFETY ALARM FOR RECEPTACLES APPLICATION FILED MAY I9, I9I5.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH'CO" WASHINGTON, D c.

1- 17Zl2l.

M. MARKOWICZ. AUTOMATIC SAFETY ALARM FOR RECEPTACLES. APPLICATXON FILED MAYIQ, 19'15.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0, wAsmNaToN. D. c.

M. MARKOWICZ.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY ALARM FOR RECEPTACLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1915.

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THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0., WASHINGTON. D. c.

MARTIN MARKOWICZ, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY-ALARM FOR RECEPTACLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

Application filed May 19, 1915. Serial No. 29,130.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN MARKOWICZ, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Safety-Alarms for Beceptacles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic safety alarm for receptacles.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an automatic alarm for movable receptacles, such as trunks and traveling cases, whereby the unauthorized removal of of tampering with the receptacle automatically trips an alarm sounding device.

A further object of the invention is to provide an alarm within a receptacle having a tripping device automatically releasable upon elevating the receptacle when the device is properly set, a tripping means being also positioned within the lock of the receptacle.

A still further object of the invention is to prevent the theft of receptacles and containers such as trunks as well as to prevent any picking of the lock mechanism thereof, the device being arranged to automatically trip an alarm ringing device in the event of either of such occurrences.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination andarrangenient of parts hereinafter fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and then claimed.

'In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several VlQWSk-lilglll. 1 is a side elevation of the device with the side plate of the casing and other parts broken away, the bottom trip mechanism being shown in its holding position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof with the bell shown in dotted lines and the elements positioned as illustrated in Fig. 1 with the key actuated trip device in its released position. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the bottom trip device released. Fig. 4: is a longitudinal sectional view of Fig. 3 with the bell shown in dotted lines. Fig. 5 isa transverse sectional view taken upon line V-V of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the bottom trlpping device and the adjacent elements. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the key actuated tripping bar detached. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the bottom trip partially broken away and some of its operative connections, and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the alarm bell tapping device.

It is to be first understood that the entire present device is intended for installation interiorly of a trunk or receptacle, not shown, and that the mechanism casing 10 is positioned at the desired point within the trunk. A look casing 11 is provided within the mechanism casing 10 and has a locking bolt 12 adapted when projected for securing the trunk closed, the said bolt being shiftable in the usual manner and the lock mechanism thereof being provided with a longitudinally slidable receiving pintle 13 for any key such as 14 which is inserted through the key hole 15. It is also to be noted that the side 16 of the mechanism casing 10 is positioned adjacent the bottom of the trunk and has a perforation 17 therethrough for receiving a longitudinally slidable bottom trip 18 in the form of a cylindrical bar, the bottom of the trunk being also provided with an opening alining with the perforation 17 for allowing the bottom trip to project outwardly therethrough. The mechanism casing 10 is preferably positioned in the trunk or receptacle adjacent the inner face of the front wall thereof and at one side of the center, so that the sliding bolt 12 will pass through the keeper of the hasp to retain the trunk or receptacle in locked condition.

A mounting plate 19 is secured within the casing 10 and has a spring receiving holder 20 attached thereto, the spring within which is adapted to be wound by means of a squared post 21 projecting outwardly of the casing 10, while a gear 22 is attached to the said post inwardly of the casing and substantially of the usual construction of a spring operated gear, the present alarm mechanism being similar to that of the usual alarm clock.

A side plate 23 is positioned in spacedrelation with respect to the base plate 19 by means of one or more strips 241- and a driven shaft 25 is journaled between the said plates and is provided with a pinion 26 in constant mesh with the aforementioned gear 22 and is further provided with a star wheel 27. Another shaft 28 is journaled between the said plates 19 and 23 and is provided with a double toothed rocking dog 29 adapted for engaging the teeth of the star wheel 27 and thereby forming an escapement whereby the operation of the star wheel by the spring mechanism just described results in rocking the dog 29 and the tapper or clapper 30 of the bell or gong 31.

The bottom trip bar 18 being longitudinally slidable through the perforated outer and inner brackets 32 and 33 respectively as well as through the casing perforation 17 and the trunk bottom, not shown, has a top shoulder 37 adapted to be engaged by a finger 35 of the spring arm 36 carried by the said bracket 32, such engagement taking place when the trip bar 18 is in its outermost projected position.

\Vhile the spring arm 36 automatically engages its finger 35 with the shoulder 37 when the said arm 'is released, a lever 38 is secured to a rocking shaft 39 having a turn button 40 secured upon the outer projecting end thereof and which button may be arranged either within or outside of the trunk. It will be seen, that by turning the button 40 for engaging the lever 38 with the arm 36, the said arm is held away from the bar 18 for allowing the free operation of the bar, while the arm 36 may be released for inwardly moving or setting the bottom trip bar 18 in its retracted position as best illustrated in Fig. l. A leaf spring 41 is attached as at 42 to the mounting plate 19 j and engages the trip bar 18 as at 43 and em erts an outward pressure on the said trip bar.

A curved slightly resilient link 44 is attached at one end to a cross piece 45 sliclably positioned through the plates 19 and 23 and is pivotally connected by means of a relatively short link 46 with the free end of the link 44 and a curved inner extension 47 of the said bar 18. The rocking dog 29 is pro vided with an arm 48 normally lying within the path of movement of the curved link 44, the said link being so positioned as to engage the dog arm 48 when the bar 18 is retracted as illustrated in Fig. 1 thereby preventing a ringing of the bell 31 while upon releasing the bar 18 and a movement thereof by means of the spring 41 to its outer projected position, the curved link 44 is released from the arm 48, as best illustrated in Fig. 3 which allows the bell tapper 30 to be actuated against the bell 31.

A laterally movable bar trip 49 has one of its ends 50 pivoted to the adjacent connecting strip 24. while the free end of the said bar 49 has the aforementioned lock pintle 13 securely mounted therecn. A lug 51 carried by the trip bar 49 is attached to the shiftable cross piece 45 whereby an inward movement of the pintle 13 shifts the bar 49 to slide the said cross piece 45 longitudinally for shifting the curved link 44 out of its engaging position with the dog arm 48 whereby the said dog is released and the bell tapper 38 allowed to vibrate freely for ringing the bell 31. A latch hook 50 pivoted as at 51 to the lock casing 11 engages over the said trip bar 49 when the pintle 13 is thus inwardly projected which retains the said trip bar with the curved link 44 in its released position, as best illustrated in Fig. 2. An elevating wire 52 is secured at one end to the latch hook 50 and extends outwardly of the casing 10 whereby the said latch hook may I be released. The leaf spring 53 engages the side of the trip bar 49 and when the latch is elevated, the spring exerts its lateral pressure against the said trip bar and returns the same to its normal position and with the curved link 44 positioned in alinement with the dog arm 48.

From this detailed description of the device and the operation of the main elements thereof, it will be apparent that the incorporation of the device in such a traveling receptacle as a trunk will allow the bottom trip bar to be set in its retracted position as shown in Fig. 1 when the trunk is positioned upon a support such as a platform and at which time the lever 38 may be released, the dog arm 48 being then held inoperative by the curved link 44. In the event that a thief picks up the trunk or the trunk is otherwise elevated the spring 41 F projects the rod 18 which releases the curved link 44 from the arm 48 and allows the bell 31 to be repeatedly struck by the tapper 30 and the arm finger 35 engages over the bar shoulder 37, as best illustrated in Fig. 6 for retaining the bottom trip bar projected and during which time the bell will continue to ring until the spring actuating means thereof becomes unwound. Similarly, when the dog arm 48 is held in its locking position by means of the curved link 44, an inward thrust upon the pintle 13 by any person, such as one desiring to tamper with or to pick the lock, releases the curved link 44 and allows the bellto ring while an engagement by the book 50 with the bar trip 49 retains the curved link 44 in its released position until the wire 52 is pulled outwardly for disengaging the latch book 50.

While the form of the invention herein shown and described is what is believed to be the preferred embodiment thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes mav be made in the form. proportion and details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invent on as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A device of' the class described comprising a casing, a bell positioned therein,

Oscillating tapper means for the said bell, an arm carried by said tapper means, a curved pivotally mounted laterally shiftable stop link normally positioned in contact with the said arm, a normally projected longitudinally slidable bottom trip bar, pivotal connections between the said bar and link, the said link being in engagement with the said arm when the said bar is in its inner position, a laterally shiftable trip bar pivoted at one end thereof, a shiftable key pintle carried by the other end of the last named trip bar, and operative connections between the last-named trip bar and the said stop link.

2. A device of the class described comprising a casing, a bell positioned therein,

oscillating tapper means for the said bell,

an arm carried by saidltapp er means, a

curved pivotally mounted laterally shiftable stop link normally positioned in contact with the said arm, a normally projected longitudinally slidable bottom trip bar, pivotal connections between the said bar and link, the said link being in engagement with the said arm When the said bar is in its inner position, a laterally shiftable trip bar pivoted at one end thereof, a shiftable key pintle carried by the other end of the said laterally shiftable trip bar, operative connections between the last named trip bar and the said stop link, a resilient projecting means for the said pintle spanning the said tapper means, an automatic latch hook for the last named trip bar and releasing means for the said latch.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

MARTIN MARKOWICZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C." 

